Military cops ‘bribed’ over fishing nets

Military police have been taking bribes to allow wealthy traders in Battambang’s Ek Phnom district to use illegal fishing equipment in the Prek Tuol protected area, fishing community residents allege.

Despite several crackdowns by fishery police and local authorities, illegal traders had continued to collude with military police to use banned nets, Sinh Samorn, the head of Koh Chivaing commune’s fishing community, said.

An anonymous fisherman said wealthy locals paid military police $1,000 a month to use illegal nets and a military police commander had demanded equal sums from poor families.

District police chief Yea Bunnoeun said he was aware of the complaints and would investigate.

Latest Video

With an attempted coup against the government of President Recep Erdogan quashed only days ago and more than 7,000 alleged conspirators now under arrest, the Turkish ambassador to Cambodia yesterday pressed the govern